speech, as she saw the old troubled

eaded. "I think I must be th

er, had appealed immensely. "Say, I'd like nothing better than to go out right now and look your property ove

, "that since you seem to like the ghostly part, you wo

ed immensely proud of the funny old tunnels and store-rooms that were tucked away in all sort of odd corners. The only thing

, gloomy old cellar with tunnels and storerooms in queer c

made her as much interested in her strange inheritance a

er mother, "for Aunt Beatrice was an exc

n't spooky?" querie

"It was the creepiest place I have ever been in, and I was never gladder in my life than wh

d Chet, jumping to his feet, h

asked Mrs

ery plainly meant, "why ask such a foolish question?" "To the g

en listening to the proceedings in amused silence. "Do

r?" aske

e, that's all," th

denly. "What do you suppos

"Being so far from good roads and the railr

orth something,"

ey smiled

n this state there are thousands of abandoned farms. Folks

ings must be w

all. You can't move an old s

llie, for she had been following a little train

is surrounded by a grove of cherry trees and is near a crossing

ied Billie, adding: "But wouldn't it be awful to have to live in tha

Bradley. "They are almost as isolated now

up his ears again. "Did you say

uilt the house built it especially for the purpose of resisting Indian attacks. Now that I come to think of it," she added, her eyes beginning to

e. "Did you hear that, did you? Indian raids and-oh, gosh!" Wor

ie. "At first I was disappointed bu

" her father interj

so, but I

ed that she should have forgotten the most important part of all: "Oh, I f

n. "Now I know we're going

ioned Chet. His mind was on getting some

it may be quite bare. I imagine, though, that Aunt Beatrice left it furnished. Bu

n Mr. Bradley went off to pick up the loose ends of his business and Mrs. Bradley a

nd Chet looked at ea

awed tone, "we expected something

t. "Say, Billie," he added, stopping before her in his excited pacing of

rs on the very next train. But I'm not so sure I'd like to st

u?" he asked, with intense scorn. "Don't you

s?" retorted Billie with spirit. "You know that

are you afraid of

of smile: "I just guess you wouldn't be able to spend a night in that sort of a gloomy old house away off from everybody with

't believe in gho

rather weakly: "But I'm not goi

ungrateful, but I do wish Aunt Beatrice had left me a few hundred dollars instead. We've

den inspiration: "There's the watch Aunt Beatrice l

hted for a moment

ue for old gold. And anyway," she rose and put a loving arm about him, "I couldn't

ng about the death of Billie's queer old aunt and knowing also that Billie, as her namesake, might expect some share of the fortune-if there was one-th

illie's Aunt Beatrice had been some sort of miser who had p

he subject, "what a wonderful thing it will be for Billie just now whe

a good time," Laura had chimed in. "Goodness!" she had added with a ch

e's porch swing and tried to appear not at all curious as to whether

gain, guessed the object of their visit and deci

five minutes. Then Laura, unable to stand the suspens

ie," she cried desperatel

e, trying to look innocent.

ie makes potato salad,"

ell enough

king still more surprised. "Why, nat

don't tell us what we wa

her feet and making a th

ead, "I'll-I'll-oh, I

ng to be go

d with mischief. "Tell me what it is you want to know and I'll do my best

n," she said while Viole

your aunt

nother threatening gesture toward her, added hurriedly: "All right.

proper amount of emphasis, t

me a-haunt